Solar reflector panels for reflecting energy from the sun to a receiver are well known. Generally, an array of aligned reflector panels are mounted on a strongback and are rotatable to permit them to receive maximum energy from the sun. The energy reflected to the receiver is generally used to heat a liquid, such as oil or liquid which is circulated to transfer the heat to a home or other utilization means.
Solar reflector panels can be made of parabolic mirror elements which are secured to and supported by backing members. These backing members are generally made of solid frame material and could be made of metal stampings of a type described in a copending application entitled "Panel for Solar Heating Systems", Ser. No. 185,360, filed Sept. 8, 1980, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
While such solar reflector panels utilizing frame metal backings are generally acceptable, it is often desirable to provide panel reflectors which minimize the number of parts required while at the same time, provide adequate locking and protection of the reflector elements to the backings. Providing locking and protection of the reflector elements with integral backing units of high resistance and durability is also desirable in many cases. This is especially true since such reflector elements are generally exposed to severe environmental conditions including snow and winds up to 90 m.p.h., for example.